Abstract
Too many people with HIV have left the job market permanently and those with reduced work capacity have been unable to keep
their jobs. There is a need to examine the health effects of labor force participation in people with HIV. This study presents
longitudinal data from 1,415 HIV-positive men who have sex with men taking part in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Generalized
Estimating Equations show that employment is associated with better physical and mental health quality of life and suggests
that there may be an adaptation process to the experience of unemployment. Post hoc analyses also suggest that people who
are more physically vulnerable may undergo steeper health declines due to job loss than those who are generally healthier.
However, this may also be the result of a selection effect whereby poor physical health contributes to unemployment. Policies
that promote labor force participation may not only increase employment rates but also improve the health of people living
with HIV.
their jobs. There is a need to examine the health effects of labor force participation in people with HIV. This study presents
longitudinal data from 1,415 HIV-positive men who have sex with men taking part in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Generalized
Estimating Equations show that employment is associated with better physical and mental health quality of life and suggests
that there may be an adaptation process to the experience of unemployment. Post hoc analyses also suggest that people who
are more physically vulnerable may undergo steeper health declines due to job loss than those who are generally healthier.
However, this may also be the result of a selection effect whereby poor physical health contributes to unemployment. Policies
that promote labor force participation may not only increase employment rates but also improve the health of people living
with HIV.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s10461-012-0257-3
- Authors
- Sergio Rueda, The Ontario HIV Treatment Network, 1300 Yonge Street, Suite 600, Toronto, ON M4T 1X3, Canada
- Janet Raboud, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Michael Plankey, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
- David Ostrow, The Ogburn-Stouffer Center for Social Organization Research at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Cameron Mustard, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Sean B. Rourke, The Ontario HIV Treatment Network, 1300 Yonge Street, Suite 600, Toronto, ON M4T 1X3, Canada
- Lisa P. Jacobson, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Tsegaye Bekele, The Ontario HIV Treatment Network, 1300 Yonge Street, Suite 600, Toronto, ON M4T 1X3, Canada
- Ahmed Bayoumi, Centre for Research on Inner City Health and The Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- John Lavis, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Roger Detels, Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Anthony J. Silvestre, Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Journal AIDS and Behavior
- Online ISSN 1573-3254
- Print ISSN 1090-7165